Letter to the Editor: With strict laws, how do illegal immigrants receive benefits?

My daughter took my 15-year-old grandson to get his permit at the DMV in Moncks Corner. She had his birth certificate, but they also require a Social Security card, which had been lost.

They went to the Social Security office (in Charleston), only to be told the birth certificate is not sufficient proof of identity, that he would need an ID card. One needs a Social Security card to get an ID card! So an insurance card with his name was not sufficient because it did not have his full name.

They ended up in their pediatrician's office in James Island to get his medical record proving who he was.

Back to the Social Security office to apply for a duplicate card, which means they already issued one to him, but now he has to prove he is himself. One will be mailed to him in 5-7 days. This with her other five children in tow.

My question is: How the heck do illegals get benefits, right to vote, tax refunds, Medicaid, food stamps, etc., when an American citizen has to jump through hoops to get a Social Security card?

MARILYN SALTER

Sumter